1. Yahoo Data Breach (2013–2016)

• Records Affected: 3 billion accounts
• Details: Initially reported in 2016, Yahoo disclosed that all 3 billion user accounts were compromised in a series of breaches between 2013 and 2014. Attackers accessed names, email addresses, birth dates, and security questions. The breach significantly impacted Yahoo's valuation during its acquisition by Verizon.

2. Aadhaar Data Breach (2018)

• Records Affected: 1.1 billion individuals
• Details: India's national biometric ID system, Aadhaar, suffered a breach exposing personal information, including names, addresses, and biometric data. A faulty software patch allowed unauthorized access, raising concerns about data security in large-scale government databases.

3. Equifax Data Breach (2017)

• Records Affected: 147 million individuals
• Details: Equifax, a major credit reporting agency, experienced a breach due to an unpatched vulnerability in Apache Struts. Sensitive information like Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses were exposed, leading to a $700 million settlement.

4. Facebook Data Breach (2019)

• Records Affected: 533 million users
• Details: Personal data, including phone numbers and email addresses, of over 500 million Facebook users were leaked online. The data was reportedly scraped by exploiting a vulnerability in Facebook's contact importer feature.

5. Marriott International Data Breach (2018)

• Records Affected: 500 million guests
• Details: Hackers accessed Marriott's Starwood guest reservation database, compromising information such as passport numbers and reservation details. The breach persisted undetected for four years, leading to significant regulatory fines.

6. LinkedIn Data Breach (2021)

• Records Affected: 700 million users
• Details: Data scraped from LinkedIn profiles, including email addresses and phone numbers, were posted for sale online. LinkedIn stated that the data was obtained through unauthorized scraping rather than a direct breach.

7. MOVEit Transfer Breach (2023)

• Records Affected: 93.3 million individuals
• Details: A vulnerability in Progress Software's MOVEit Transfer tool was exploited by the Cl0p ransomware group, affecting over 2,700 organizations and exposing sensitive data across various sectors.

8. Shanghai Police Database Leak (2022)

• Records Affected: 1 billion Chinese residents
• Details: An unidentified hacker claimed to have obtained 23 terabytes of data from the Shanghai National Police database, including personal details and criminal case information. The data was offered for sale online, marking one of the largest data breaches in history.

9. Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack (2021)

• Impact: Disruption of fuel supply across the U.S. East Coast
• Details: The DarkSide ransomware group targeted Colonial Pipeline, leading to a shutdown of operations. The company paid a $4.4 million ransom, highlighting vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

10. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Breach (2015)

• Records Affected: 22.1 million individuals
• Details: The OPM breach compromised sensitive data, including fingerprints and background check information, of U.S. government employees. Attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors, the breach raised national security concerns.